Shards of Cosmos
by Miaka
Summary: The happy ending to Mint's story brought later boredom to the princess back home in her castle. When it looks as though Rue and Klaus have forgotten about Mint, she decides to set off to find a new relic on her own. Sequel to Mint's story, r/r please! :D
1. Prologue: A New Story

The Shards of Cosmos || Prologue  
  
The young princess tugged at the ends of her blankets. She could hear the pattering rain on the other side of the wall beside her bed. The weather wasn't what kept her awake, however; there wasn't even thunder.  
  
Mint's eyes seemed to absorb the darkness of her room. For a moment, she snickered at the memory of when her younger sister used to insist on having some source of light to accompany her while she slept.  
  
"But I was never afraid of the dark," Mint turned over. Sleeping on the same side for too long began to give her hip pains. She imagined herself being a crippled crone in the far off future.  
  
Now Mint's back was cushioned by the surface of her bed. 'This is more like it,' she thought contently and enjoyed being more comfortable. Closing her eyes, she remembered the nights she used to spend at the Carona inn. The window in her room there had been right beside her bed. After letting her carrot colored pigtails down, she would stand before the window and watch the faint lights of late-night ships stopping at the port. When she opened her eyes again, she half expected to be looking up at the inn's ceiling, not her own.  
  
"Wonder how that nutty town is doing, anyway," she said. This was something she asked herself every night; it didn't just rise out of the blue.  
  
Thinking about Carona made Mint anxious. She turned over once more, scowling at her restiveness.  
  
The thought about Carona only seemed to increase Mint's inability to fall asleep. Carona reminded her of Klaus. 'Who never sent me anything about new relics,' Mint thought bitterly. Relics reminded her of the Dewprism ... and of how she was unable to take it with her that day she escaped Valen's fortress. Finally, all these memories built up enough pressure within Mint for her to throw her blankets aside and sit up.  
  
"Here I am, lying in a castle, when there's a whole world of relics out there for me to explore!" she exclaimed, twisting herself over and hopping out of bed. She approached her wardrobe, stopping only on the way to light a candle for better light. It took a few full-effort pulls on stone-cold handles before Mint was able to open the doors of her wardrobe. It was old (passed down from generation to generation in the royal family;) it was also becoming a less than favorable place for a princess to store her clothes in.  
  
"Stupid thing," Mint commented while rummaging through her various attires. Finally, she found the one she had been looking for: a "dress" fit for activity. Her dress was purple with white at the cuffs of her sleeves and a dark border-like material here and there. The brown fabric covering her midriff also reached up to her neck from beneath the top part of her "dress." The outfit was topped off with orange stockings and boots too cute to boot. Once dressed, Mint dashed to her mirror and fixed her hair into pigtails.  
  
Next, she opened the door which led out of the sleeping quarters of her room and into where she used to spend time reading up on the ateliers of magicians around the world. That was when she first came home from her adventure one year ago. After four months, she got tired of the research. Once six months passed by, she gave up her hopes that Klaus or Rue would keep in touch with her. Although Mint would never admit it, she was bored without adventure, but mostly without the friends she had made on her journey for the relic.  
  
Suddenly, Mint heard chiming. It occurred to her then that she didn't know what hour of the night it was. But this she didn't worry over. She simply opened the next door of her room and stepped softly into the corridor. Then she began to walk. Tap-tap-tap. No matter how lightly she intended to step, the floor beneath her would not keep quiet. Finally, Mint came to an end of the hallway and met up with a guard who was attired in blues. He stopped her to say that he was not allowed to permit her passage at such a late hour. As he was explaining his orders, he took down his hat and bowed to beg her pardon.  
  
Mint stared at the hat, mostly because of the odd orange string fabric attached to it; it didn't match what the guard was wearing. At last, she said, "How many hours until morning are there?"  
  
"About ... an hour before the sun rises, Your Highness!" the guard answered, proud to be looked to for information. The princess casually bent to the side, trying to eye the hall behind the guard. The guard noticed her movement and inched to the left to block Mint's view and any temptation she might contain to try passing him. At this, Mint glowered and angrily pointed her finger at the man.  
  
"Look, you! I need to get into that hallway!"  
  
The guard gulped; he hadn't expected her to yell at him.  
  
"Please, Your Highness! Won't you rest for one more hour? It isn't long!" As he spoke, Mint was already trying to squeeze through the narrow spaces on the left and right of the guard that he couldn't block together at once. But he was able to lurch in front of the princess each time before she passed.  
  
"If it isn't long, what difference does it make that I'm walking around the palace an hour before most people?!" Mint demanded, stomping her foot. The guard gaped at her while she impatiently waited for him to give her a satisfying answer.  
  
"I was given specific instructions not to let anyone pass into or out of this hallway before sunrise, Your Highness! It's nothing personal, understand? I'm-just-doing-my-job-" STAMP! Mint's foot smacked against the floor yet again.  
  
"Instructions, instructions! Cry me a river, already!" her face was red. And suddenly, a grin washed over her lips. She looked back up to the guard and smiled a smile sweet enough to rot teeth.  
  
"Your Highness?" the guard said, able to sense that some plot was at work behind the twinling eyes of the princess.  
  
"I ORDER you to let me pass!" Mint growled; her innocent smiled vanished immediately after she spoke. The guard sighed.  
  
"I was also given orders that under no circumstances, even under a *new* order, am I to let anyone enter or exit this area!  
  
Now please, Your Highness! Do get some rest or you'll be tired tomorrow."  
  
Mint whipped around (rather violently.) She unwillingly began to return to her room. Just as the guard was sure she would open her door, Mint turned back to look at him.  
  
"Hey, guardy!" she called.  
  
'Oh no...' thought the guard when Mint started to charge toward him. He expected that she must have thought up a last-minute spoiled remark to bid him goodnight with. However, Mint showed no sign of stopping to say anything. In fact, the guard almost instinctively pulled back because it looked as though she was going to knock right into him. But he forced himself to hold his position until......  
  
BAM!!!!  
  
Mint avoided stepping onto the guard on the floor when she landed from her notorious jump kick. The guard was, without a doubt, knocked out. His funny colored hat laid not far from his hand. Mint bent over to pick it up and carefully attached it to his balding head.  
  
"G'night, guardy. Have a nice, looong rest, 'cause when you get up, that head of yours is gonna hurt like a [expletive]!"  
  
Then Mint continued to venture down the formerly guarded hallway, without looking back to the sleeping guard. She wondered how long the guard had stalled her; perhaps it was now already sunrise.  
  
Mint found the doors that served as the entrance to the throne room. She pulled them open, expecting them to shut loudly behind her once she stepped inside. But the doors closed quietly; Mint's prediction had been proved to be inaccurate.  
  
A magnificent light reached out to all corners and edges of the room. Mint could see from the large window behind the throne platform that the sun was now above the horizon. It was dawn of the day when Princess Mint's new adventure would shortly begin; it was beautiful.  
  
Notes from the author: Whoo! Sorry about the long beginning, but I hope it was a decent start. ^-^; I'm really serious about this ficcy though.. I haven't finished my others. ; But I promise (to anyone who's looking for me to continue) that I shall put my all into it! *shakes a fist* And ... hey! I have no life, it's summer vacaaaation.. Who says there's not enough time? D Thank you for reading! Do leave a review; compliments, questions -and- criticism are all welcome. 


	2. King vs Princess

*Disclaimer:* I don't own Dewprism/Threads of Fate, or any of its characters however. Anything in this story that a fan does not recognize is probably, indeed, something of my own unless otherwise credited in a disclaimer.  
  
~ Chapter One! ~  
  
The king's angry fist knocked into the stiff armrest of his throne. The action was not done without any pain, but the king's fury was thick enough that it enabled him to ignore his sore knuckle.  
  
"Absolutely not! I forbid it!"  
  
The servants present during the scene cringed at the many echoes that followed their king's voice. The morning was no longer timid, though Mint was too preoccupied to appreciate how lovely the throne room looked in sunlight. She was the only person who seemed unnerved by her father's yelling.  
  
"And why not?!" the king watched his daughter's mouth curl up in defiance.  
  
"The LAST time you went off on a silly adventure, may I remind you, you stayed away from home for nearly two and a half years!"  
  
"That was different!" Mint defended herself, "I was running away from home."  
  
"Well *that* rash decision you made is reason enough for me to keep you from leaving this palace," her father added bitterly. Mint's face was beginning to look as though someone had soaked it in pure lemon juice.  
  
"Rash or not, I have no regrets about that journey..." Though Mint's tone was still sour, her eyes projected what the king himself recognized to be nostalgia.  
  
When Mint's father showed no more interest in furthering the discussion, Mint inclined her head lightly and prepared to leave the room.  
  
"Stay where you are, Mint, I wasn't finished speaking to you."  
  
Mint turned around, rather dramatically.  
  
"Now ... before you make any objections, I want you to listen thoroughly," the king began, pausing to clear the rasp in his voice by coughing.  
  
Mint braced herself; if her father was warning her to halt her objections ahead of time, surely what he was about to tell her would be out of her approval. Before the king continued, he eyed a few of the servants still lurking in the throne room. Those who felt his glance felt that it was their cue to leave; they also dragged any remaining servants into the hall.  
  
" 'hem ... " the king cleared his throat once more.  
  
Mint raised her eyebrows at the absence of her servants. A moment ago, she had been curious about what her father would bring up; now she was dreading it, whatever it was.  
  
"Mint ... I've watched you and your sister grow since you were wee little princesses," Mint's cheeks flushed at the idea of ever being 'wee' or little, "I've watched Maya develop her responsibility, seen you decrease your ... 'slackability,' " again, Mint's face went red, "And I was very proud of the deeds you and Maya did to prevent that Dewprism frrom falling into the wrong hands. I have been well informed of your past - and rather unrealistic - dream of World Domination ... But I was impressed by the determination and courage you showed to make that dream of yours closer to your reach. I know I wasn't there with you on your journey, but I have not failed to realize that your adventure had changed you. You've grown up, you're still growing up ... and- "  
  
"Get to the point, pops!" Mint glowered in exasperation from being both embarrassed and praised at the same time. The king was about to consider taking back what he had just said about growing up, but his elder daughter was looking impatient as ever.  
  
"... right, then ... Mint, I think it's time for you to begin ..."  
  
"WHAAAAAAAAATTTT?!!!!!!!!!!" Mint's voice vibrated even outside the walls of the castle.  
  
"You heard me!" the king gaped; he hadn't expected his daughter's reaction to be so ... -loud-. Mint felt herself melting away from the throne room. She inched back, farther and farther. If she could just reach those doors, maybe she could run and escape the idea her father had just proposed.  
  
"Why me?!" Mint had to ask. Her father watched her backing away.  
  
He replied anxiously, "Well, I had been told you were unhappy about my decision to alter your throne right... and since you came back, I wanted to make it up to you... marriage doesn't sound too horrific, does it? Suppose we find you a wealthy, powerful suitor ..."  
  
Mint's mind would not register the words her father just spoke. Her, marry? The idea was unheard of, though Mint was sure her ears were not playing tricks on her. Mint didn't want a puny little prince she would have to share power with once her goal of World Domination was achieved. And how dare her father dub her dream 'unrealistic.' Her temper was boiling now.  
  
"Don't sweat it, pops! A castle and some land isn't going to satisfy me when there's an entire world just sitting here for the taking. I appreciate you trying to make it up to me, but I won't be happy until I've got Maya scrubbing toilets."  
  
The king gasped at the crudeness of her last comment. Had Mint changed much after her adventure, after all? As the king's temples pulsated, he was unsure whether to react in shock, anger, or amusement. Mint tapped her right foot lightly, crossing her arms and wondering what nonsense her father would come up with next.  
  
"Mint, I don't know what to make of your behavior ..."  
  
"Behavior?"  
  
"Oh, don't try to act so innocent! First you run away from home, try to take over the world, take my generosity for granted, and now you're taking out your own flaws on poor Maya."  
  
"Poor Maya, perfect Maya! Why is she always the victim? And I'm not throwing your generosity out the window, father, but I couldn't help but get angry at the way you're trying to appease me like I'm only five years old!  
  
Arggh, I didn't get much sleep last night. I think I'll go to my room ..." Mint hurried for the exit.  
  
"WAIT! Will you consider the marriage idea?"  
  
Mint stopped to wonder if she had just heard the similar menace *she* often used in her own voice. Without turning back, she said quietly, "Yeah, 'kay."  
  
With a click of the door, Mint was safe and out of the throne room. Now, however, she needed to begin plotting an escape plan from this wretched castle.  
  
~ I didn't get any reviews when I first posted this, but I'm not going to let that discourage me.. ^_^; Dewprism rocks.. And I want to write a sequel, with or without external support. But anyway, for anyone who DID read this, thank you. ^.^ ~ 


	3. Premiere of the Pervert!

/Disclaimer/ 

I don't own Dewprism/Threads of Fate, or any of its characters however. Anything in this story that a fan does not recognize is probably, indeed, something of my own unless otherwise credited in a disclaimer.

* * *

-Chapter Two!-

Mint spent the rest of the morning shut up in her room, sorting through the garments in her wardrobe (particularly ones of least value to her interest.) Then after creating one massive pile, she began tying the ends of the different outfits together. After tying each knot, Mint would double it, sometimes triplng if the knots weren't secure enough as she gave them test tugs. A couple of times, a servant had shown up at her room, but she had been careful about how widely she opened her door. Finally, she secured one end of the chain to one of her bed posts and then crossed over to her open window, the rest of the chain in hand. She took one breath and then tossed the chain from her arms out the window. She leaned over to see how far it went down, but unfortunately, it was difficult to tell. So, she picked up the rucksack she had packed and made sure all of her necessities had been packed: money, garments, a map, and some documents about relics.

Just then there was another knock at the door. Mint hesitated, unsure of whether or not to risk ignoring it. But when the visitor spoke, it made matters all the more complicated.

"Mint? Come out here, please. I would like to speak with you."

Mint cringed at the annoyance tied together with her sister's voice. Maya was the second to last person she wanted to speak to right now, the last person of course being their father.

"Mint?" Her name was followed by two more knocks. Mint groaned, too lazy to pull her escape "rope" back through the window or to hide it out of sight.

"Mint!" Maya called again, clearly becoming frustrated. "You've been in that room -all- morning. Father is concerned about you."

"Well, you can tell pops to SHOVE it!" Mint slipped, releasing the chain of garments to clench her fists.

"I beg your pardon?" Maya asked.

"Uwa... I mean ..." Mint faltered, jumping to the door so her sister would be able to hear her better. "Please tell father I'm just feeling a little ill. I'll come out at lunch."

"Figures she'll show up when there's food..." Mint heard from the other side of the door.

"Say that again?" Mint snapped.

"Ahh, yes... I shall deliver the message. Would you like father to send a doctor up to see you?" Maya asked. Mint was surprised by the suggestion.

"NO!" she answered immediately.

Maya, taken aback, persisted, "Are you sure?"

"I mean, ... I just need some quiet, and time to rest. I don't need a doctor, thanks," Mint regained her composure.

"Very well. Until lunch, then."

"Later."

And after that, Mint pressed her ear up against the door, hoping to hear the departing footsteps of her sister. Sure enough, she did. But as soon as Maya's clacking steps were out of earshot, Mint pulled away from the door. She went to her window again, sticking her head out to get a glimpse of below. She caught sight of the royal docks, and sailors boarding boxes of goods onto one particular ship.

"Transportation? Check," Mint gave her garments chain a final tug before swinging herself over the window ledge. "Destination? I'll worry about that later." Slowly, she descended from her window. At one point, she had to keep to the right to avoid an unexpected window from the servants' quarters; she had miscalculated the window's location, or perhaps it was just that she'd never been to the servants' quarters before. Then again, why would she?

Finally, Mint's feet met the ground level. She found herself feeling most relieved that the chain she made had been long enough (and in addition, that she hadn't been caught.) She hid around the castle wall's corner for a moment, poking her head out to watch for when the man loading the boxes would disappear. Then, while he was momentarily gone, Mint gingerly dashed across the dock and boarded the ship. Once she was on, she gave one last look up at the East Heaven Castle and turned to find a box to hide behind until the ship set sail.

As she settled in her selected hiding place, Mint found herself smirking with satisfaction at having escaped her father's demands. She made not a movement, nor a sound; all the while she heard the crude conversations of the sailors loading goods onto the ship. Some of them complained about the weight of the boxes while others tried guessing what was inside of them. Mint gradually grew bored. She squinted her eyes at the boarded floor she was crouched over and was no longer able to keep them open; it was about time she made up her lost sleeping hours anyway. And so she slept, hoping no one would find her.

* * *

Some time later, though she was not sure exactly how many hours had crept by, Mint woke. She must have gotten used to her awkward sitting position during her slumber because the first thing she noticed when she woke up was how comfortable and warm she was. But then again, and this Mint finally noticed, she was no longer sitting on deck at all, but laying—and in a cot!

Mint sat up and examined the room she had waken up in. It was small, rather plain. There was a chair at the desk next to her cot, a candle up on the wall next to the door across from her. Finally, there was a mirror hung up on the back of the door. Mint got out of the cot and walked to the mirror to examine her face. Her eyes were a bit puffy, her pigtails lopsided and slightly tangled.

"How long have I been sleeping...?" she wondered aloud.

"A full day, love," came a voice from behind her.

Mint jumped at the movement she saw in the mirror. Somebody else was sitting up in the cot now. She wrinkled her brow and turned around, demanding, "Who are you?"

The boy (thus the basis of Mint's aggression) pulled back a silver strand of hair from his face. He took his time responding, making sure to flash Mint a dazzling smile first.

"I'm a stow away, just like you. I found you lying on the deck yesterday, so I brought you in here. Nobody was using this room, so I figure it's alright."

"Gaaa! I meant, what's your name? And why DID you drag me in here?"

The boy threw aside his sheets and sat at the edge of the cot, staring intensely at Mint. But somehow, he looked offended.  
"I didn't drag you, I carried you. It was getting chilly out, you could have caught a cold! ... and you can call me Kai, by the way. What should I call you?"

"Chilly out? HAH! I bet you're just a pervert!" Mint spat out, crossing her arms. Kai grinned at her.

"What're you smiling at?" she growled.

"Your hair..." he started.

"What about it?"

Kai got up and stepped towards her. Mint backed up against the door defensively.

"Umm..." she raised an eyebrow as her drew closer. Finally, he was but four inches away from her. While Mint was busy noticing how violet his eyes were, she was caught by surprise when the "pervert" grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face the mirror. Her bangs were all curling and sticking out unevenly. Mint scowled at the sight and began trying to pat her hair down with her hands. She jumped as Kai surprised her again, chuckling from behind at her behavior.

"It's the humidity...," Mint said, staring darkly at his reflection in the mirror.

His reflection winked and said, "You saying it got hot and stuffy in this room overnight?"

"NOPE!" Mint glared, turning to punch at his elbow.

"Oww... You're a violent one. Now, answer me this time. What should I call you?" As he spoke, he backed up, giving Mint some room again.

Mint narrowed her eyes and said, "You won't be needing to call me anything. I'm leaving now. Ta!" She said this all with a very plain expression. Kai, in amusement, watched her turn and open the door. When she was gone, he continued to stand in place for a moment. Then, he bursted out laughing.

"Adieu, then. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again sometime soon."

Mint shuddered as the door shut behind her. 'What a creep!' she thought, comparing him to the other few boys she had met on her adventures. She had to admit, he was nothing like Rue. One thing she wouldn't admit to herself, however, was that it was indeed cold outside.

* * *

/Miaka's notes/

Si, that's all for now! Thank you for the kind reviews. I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I had a lot of free time so far this spring break, and I realized that so many of my FF stories had been left abandoned. FINALLY Ffnet has a Fatal Frame section! I requested one and they put it up. I'm so happy And for those of you who don't know, Fatal Frame is an awesome survival horror game! It was recommended to me by a friend of mine a long, long time ago... and though I've never had the guts to play it alone, and I haven't beaten it (or the sequel) yet, it's definitely my favorite game. XD Riiiight, so.. About this ficcy, expect more soon Toodles!


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